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Black dragonflight
| leader = Deathwing, Nefarian, Onyxia | height = Varies according to specific species and age}} thumb|A Black Drake *'Leader:' Deathwing the Destroyer/Neltharion the Earth-Warder *'Domain:' Protection/Earth (originally), Destruction *'Breath:' Fire, magma (fire and shadow magic) *'Locations:' **Burning Steppes especially Blackrock Spire and Blackwing Lair **Redridge Mountains **Badlands **Dustwallow Marsh **Blade's Edge Mountains Though the Black Dragonflight was nearly annihilated in ages past, a few of the evil creatures have made their homes in the dry, desolate wastes of the Barrens. With their lord, Deathwing, either missing or dead, the black dragons seek to appease only themselves. The creatures are immensely powerful and cruel and revel in mortal suffering. The black dragons are the enemies of every other Dragonflight, especially the great red dragons of Lordaeron. Age groups and dragonspawn *Black whelp *Black drake *Black dragon (mature) *Black wyrm *Black dragonspawn Culture thumb|left|Black Dragonkin in the Burning Steppes Black Dragons were once earth-warders, caring for stone and mountain and using their formidable abilities to cause the rise and fall of terrain. They were to watch as the world of Azeroth changed and to maintain the boundaries and lines of delineation between the races so that none would fall to war over land. They maintained this purpose for a time, living in relative harmony with the other races and shaping the land to better use. In those peaceful time, their leader was known as Neltharion, and his wisdom and power were renowned. Then came the madness that destroyed Neltharion's mind. But as the Black Dragons followed their leader into madness, so did their powers. They are no more the guardians of earth, but instead revel in fire and magma. Destruction is their art and death their goal. All other dragons of Azeroth fight against Deathwing's flight at every opportunity. In modern times black dragons are some of the most evil, sadistic creatures known on the face of Azeroth. Black Dragon are vicious, selfish beings, not caring even for the lives of their flightmates and children, often killing off other blacks to rise in prominence among the flight. Before Deathwing's disappearance the black dragons sought to emulate their dark master and a wyrm's goal in life was to become the foul black aspect's right hand or even replace him entirely. They cared little for any other blacks that got in the way of this goal. Nowadays with their leader missing the black flight is in a civil war, each individual desiring to become the new leader of their dark kind. History Charge of the Dragonflights Satisfied that the small world had been ordered and that their work was done, the Titans prepared to leave Azeroth. But before they departed, they charged the greatest species of the world with the task of watching over Kalimdor. In that age, there were many dragonflights. Yet there were five flights that held dominion over their brethren. It was these five flights that the Titans chose to shepherd the budding world. The greatest members of the Pantheon imbued a portion of their power upon each of the flights' leaders. Khaz'goroth, the Titan shaper and forger of the world, bestowed some of his vast power upon the mighty black wyrm, Neltharion. The great-hearted Neltharion, known afterwards as the Earth-Warder, was given dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world. He embodied the strength of the world and served as Alexstrasza's greatest supporter. War of the Ancients Black Dragons were once, like their aspect Neltharion, the defenders of Azeroth, living deep in the caverns of the earth. They shaped the lands, raised mountains, and created valleys. For countless millenia the black dragons and the other flights lived in peace and harmony and worked together to safeguard Azeroth from all forms of violence and destruction. Then they fell prey to the whispering of the Old Gods, Neltharion most of all. The other Aspects attributed Neltharion's oddness to his displeasure with the actions of the bold Highborne Kaldorei. The Highborne had opened a portal for the Burning Legion and the demons began to invade Azeroth. Neltharion, having lost all sanity, created a device called the Dragon Soul (later known as the Demon Soul), taking a portion of each dragon's power, but he and the black flight did not contribute their own power, unknown to the other flights. He claimed the device was to fight the legion but in reality he planed on using it to take control of all of Azeroth, and make the Black Flight rulers of the world. The Blacks' betrayal was made known when Neltharion turned the device on the night elves and their allies, and eventually the other dragons, going as far as virtually erasing the Blue Dragonflight from existence. The mortal defenders managed to ultimately defeat the legion, but the world was sundered. After The Sundering Over the next few millennia following The Sundering, the black dragonflight was nearly hunted to extinction by the Reds, Blues, Greens, and Bronzes. A mighty civil war was waged between dragonkind, with all flights losing members, some more than others. Ultimately the blacks were nearly wiped out, but when the dust settled the day of the dragon had passed. The dragons never truly recovered from those dark times and were never again seen in the same numbers as before. After having wiped out nearly every member of the flight, the black dragons were not ready to leave the last few blues in peace. The survivors of the blue dragonflight fled to Northrend, then Deathwing attacked the blue dragons, slaughtering them by the dozens. The survivors fought back but were no match for Deathwing's ferocity. In the process their homes were destroyed and the land so damaged it could never recover. The area became the Dragonblight. Over what is now Crystalsong Forest another battle between the blacks and blues was waged, and many blue dragons died. Their magic released into the air and settled as glittering light on the ground and the rocks and the trees. Finally an elder blue dragon, beset by many blacks, unleashed a powerful spell to strip the life from his attackers and turn them to stone. The loose magic altered and amplified the spell, spreading it across the entire region and changing soil and stone and wood and flesh into living crystal. One particular brood of Ysera's were closely allied with the night elves of the Azuremyst Isles, whom were ruled by Prince Toreth. Ysera kindly allowed the night elves to ride her children into battle and they were known the Dragon Riders of Loreth'Aran. Ysera's benevolence raised the ire of Deathwing and he launched an attack against Wyrmscar Island where the dragonriders slept. The blacks, including Razormaw, a lieutenant of Deathwing, mercilessly slaughtered the Kaldorei. The greens rose up to protect their allies but were unsuccessful. Not one was spared, though many blacks, including Razormaw, also perished in the battle. The skeletons and spirits of the murdered greens still liter the small island. Razormaw's hatred for the greens was so great that his restless spirit remained soaring high overhead, forever haunting the island. In the early years following the sundering, is said that Deathwing's black flight attempted to subjugate the bronze dragons. The assault was unsuccessful, primarily because the bronze dragons did not stay and fight as expected. His command of time offering insight into the blacks' plans, Nozdormu alerted his flight of the danger. The bronze dragonflight scattered to the four corners of the globe, where they continued to monitor events. The Second War and Draenor During the Second War Deathwing saw his opportunity to decimate Alexstrasza and her flight. Deathwing and his black flight were unable to use the Demon Soul themselves, the other flights had made sure of that, but it could placed in the hands of a being that would use it against the other flights. Deathwing secretly led Rend and Maim to the disk. The sons of Blackhand, not but simple warriors passed the disk on to their staunchest supporter, the chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan, a shaman named Zuluhed the Whacked. Unresponsive to his powers, the device was given to the warlock Nekros Skullcrusher, whose magic the disk eagerly reciprocated. Nekros used the disk to enslave Alexstrasza and most of her flight and turn them into the Horde's hounds of war. Eventually the Horde was defeated, the portal destroyed, and most of the orcs thrown in the internment camps. The alliance lands saw peace for the first time in a generation, a peace that did not last long. Soon the portal reopened and the old clans left behind on Draenor were reunited with the free orcs on Azeroth. Seeking to gain allies, the shaman Ner'zhul sent his forces to Deathwing and the crazed dragons roosting at Blackrock Spire. The Horde annihilated the Alliance forces besieging the mountain and found a new ally in the black wyrms. After retrieving the artifacts he desired, Ner'zhul pulled the horde back to Draenor. Deathwing traveled to the orc homeworld, taking along a few remaining members of his flight, and they settled on a mountain isle in the devouring sea. The Alliance followed the Horde and launched an attack to rid Azeroth of the orcish threat once and for all. Although the Alliance managed to regain the artifacts it needed to seal the portal, Ner'zhul had already learned enough to open his own portals. The numerous portals began to tear Draenor apart, and the planet started to tremble. As the planet went through its death throes, Deathwing quickly escaped back to Azeroth through the Dark Portal abandoning his progeny, his flight and eggs, on the doomed world. Many of his eggs were exposed to the twisting nether and the dragons that emerged from them were no longer truly members of the black flight. These ethereal dragons would be come to be known as the Nether Dragons. Sometime during the black flight's occupation of Draenor, they also entered a costly war with the Gronn. Black dragons still remain in the Blade's Edge Mountains today. The Battle of Grim Batol The blacks were nearly extinct and their master, Deathwing, sought a way he could rebuild his flight. He devised a plan to do this by stealing the eggs of his greatest foe, Alexstrasza, who was still enslaved by the Dragonmaw. Not wanting to possibly damage the eggs by directly assaulting Grim Batol, he sought a way to fool the orcs into bringing the eggs out into the open where he could more easily steal them. He fooled Nekros into believing the Alliance planned on invading the mountain fortress and the warlock ordered to have Alexstrasza, Tyranastrasz, and her eggs moved out of the mountain and towards Dun Algaz where the bulk of the Dragonmaw Clan was stationed preparing for war. Deathwing assaulted the caravan and began to steal the eggs, but then his plan went awry and the Demon Soul was destroyed in the battle now known as The Battle of Grim Batol. With their powers returned to them, Alexstrasza and the other aspects, who had shown up in order to save the Dragonqueen, chased Deathwing off, and he hasn't been seen since. The eggs were quickly recovered afterwards. Current activities The remaining black dragons are now in a state of civil war, fighting over who will rule the flight. Recently Nefarian and his younger sister Onyxia have managed to take control over a large portion of the flight, and the two plot on how to scour Azeroth of the mortal races and other dragonflights. *Onyxia's brood resides in Dustwallow Marsh, however the broodmother herself is often gone. Onyxia has disguising herself as a noble of Stormwind (much like her father once did within Lordaeron), influencing the child king Anduin Wrynn, and interfering with the armies of Stormwind from being used for their intended purposes, including protecting the alliance lands from the orcish armies of her brother Nefarian. Her true identity has been discovered by Marshal Reginald Windsor, whom unfortunately for the alliance, has been captured by the Dark Iron dwarves of Shadowforge in Blackrock Depths. thumb|Dragons' End *Nefarian has also taken a human guise as Lord Victor Nefarius, and has taken control of Blackrock Spire and the Dark Horde barricaded inside under the rule of Rend Blackhand. They constantly fight the Dark Iron dwarves of Shadowforge and their fiery master, Ragnaros that reside in the depths of the volcano. Nefarian and his brood are at work creating a chromatic dragonflight with the powers of all the flights to release on the fire elementals and eventually the races of Azeroth. Black dragon servants of Nefarian are can be found as far north as the Badlands all the way south to the Redridge Mountains, but the most powerful of which are located inside the spire. Blackwing Lair, Nefarian's laboratory and seat of power, is filled with the mightiest servants of Deathwing's protégé, including elite orcs, dragonspawn, drakonids, drakes, and members of the new chromatic dragonflight. *A large number of black dragons stranded on Outland have made the Blade's Edge Mountains their home. How they came to be there is unknown. Many of the dragons met their end at the hands of Gruul the Dragonkiller and his sons, and can be seen impaled on the rocky spires at Dragons' End. The dragon Sabellian seeks revenge against Gruul and his sons for the death of his children. The Blacks here are revered by a mortal organization known as the Wyrmcult. They are led by the Drakonid Maxnar the Ashmaw, operating from Blackwing Coven in Raven's Wood. *Overlord Mor'ghor, servant of Illidan Stormrage on Netherwing Ledge, has recently been approached by a emissary from the black flight, Lady Sinestra. Sinestra claims their master (Deathwing) is alive and well and is interested in recovering the Nether Dragons Mor'ghor has been grooming for Illidan, as they are the black aspect's progeny. Mor'ghor, once an unwitting servant of Deathwing, quickly abides. Appearance and guises Most Black Dragons appear with their horns and wings in a shade of orange to brown, but a few females appear with purplish wings and horns. Deathwing himself appears black, plated with adamantium, with fiery veins running across his body. The preferred humanoid form of the Black Dragonflight when in disguise amongst mortals are humans with black hair and dark eyes. Though Black Dragons can easily take other forms, humans have been especially useful. The powerful and semi-industrial human kingdoms could more easily accomplish the goals of Deathwing and his ilk than the nomadic tauren, the magically-minded high elves, or the mountain-dwelling dwarves. Humans are also far less sensitive to the presence of dragons than other races. Night elves, for instance, can identify a dragon with relative ease. Known Black Dragons that have taken human form are listed in their dragon state and respective human names: A few known exceptions are Lady Sinestra who, when acting as an ambassador to the Dragonmaw clan, uses a Blood Elf guise instead of a human one, and Blackwing Spellbinders in Blackwing Lair who also take elven form. *Deathwing as Lord Daval Prestor *Nefarian as Lord Victor Nefarius *Onyxia as Lady Katrana Prestor *Sabellian as Baron Sablemane *Kalaran the Deceiver as Kalaran Windblade Known members Black Dragon names are sometimes modifications of words usually used to describe an undesirable character trait. Other times, they can be based on words synonymous with the color black, darkness, or fire. References Category:Black Dragonflight Category:Dragonkin Category:Dragons Category:Lore